I suspect I’m not alone in looking forward to school starting in September more than the summer break that’s about to start the beginning of June. While there’s a lot to be said for leisure and relaxation, I also believe that children do best if they have structure and rhythm. Staying up until midnight or later and sleeping in until noon? That’s fun for a few days but over the course of weeks or months, it’s not great for their mental health. Or ours, as parents!
As a child, I recall lots of bike rides to friend’s houses and random activities, ranging from an afternoon of board games and TV to epic bike rides down to the beach. I also ended up at summer camps, though never a sleepover camp. Nowadays, with the tidal wave of electronics and devices intended to separate our children from their souls, uhm, their imagination, it’s a different world. Now it’s all too easy for a child to ooze out of bed, collapse on the couch and do a whole lotta nothing, day after day. I know, it’s up to us parents to come up with things to do, but that’s what I don’t look forward to; I work during the week and can’t just take off days at a time. I bet you’re the same.
And so, summer camps. But I don’t really want computer programming summer camps or video game camps, I want my children to be surrounded by the great outdoors, even when I don’t have time to do so with them. Which is why Avid4 Adventure is such a great match. With programs for K thru 12th graders, the organization creates fun and challenging activities that match what’s available in the area and the interests of the kids.
From rock climbing to canoeing, white water rafting to lightsaber duels (okay, just kidding on that last one!) there are a ton of activities available for children who have a spirit of adventure – or parents who push them to challenge their perceived limitations. The ideal is probably to have a mix, where kids have some time off during the summer, have some adventure camp like Avid4 Adventure, travel with family as possible, and muchly spend lots of time making new friendships and deepening existing relationships.
Meanwhile, back at Avid4 Adventure, they’re prepping for a busy summer, with camps offered in both California and Colorado. Their promise to us parents: “As they hike, bike, climb and paddle, kids build lasting skills and newfound confidence, igniting a passion for being active that lasts their whole lives.”
The organization also takes safety quite seriously – as you would hope – and they carefully vet and train all their counselors. Unlike old school camps in the Catskills where you’d learn how to make a keychain lanyard, rock climbing and some of these other activities definitely have a certain level of risk and danger. That’s a good thing when you have the right people helping your child go from “oh, I can’t do that” to “I did it!”.
Heck, even the little ‘uns can manage a lot more of this than you may realize:
Sounds really good, doesn’t it? Now, what are your plans with your children this summer, and can you imagine having them head out for some hiking, biking, climbing and paddling? If so, do check it out at Avid4 Adventure and maybe, just maybe, plan a trip where the whole family does these adventure activities too! I know we definitely head out on a lot of bike rides once the weather’s beautiful.
Tip: Use discount code OUTDOORFUN to save $20 on camp registration too! It all adds up…
Disclosure Avid4 Adventure sponsored this blog post.